The Critics Versus Shakspere / A Brief for the Defendant

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27485

Title

The Critics Versus Shakspere / A Brief for the Defendant

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Francis A. Smith defends William Shakespeare against centuries of critical attacks, arguing that his genius transcends classical rules. The text refutes claims of plagiarism by contemporaries like Greene and Peele, and counters modern theories that Shakespeare merely imitated others. It celebrates Shakespeare's unique ability to capture human passion and truth, asserting his enduring sovereignty over English literature despite distortions by later critics and editors.

Summary up to 500 words

In his 1907 legal-style brief, *The Critics Versus Shakspere*, Francis A. Smith acts as counsel for William Shakespeare in a fictional trial against his detractors. Smith argues that early critics like Ben Jonson, Voltaire, and Dryden unfairly dismissed Shakespeare for ignoring Aristotelian unities, labeling his work barbaric. He further contends that eighteenth-century editors, such as Davenant and Tate, degraded the original plays to suit French tastes, while later critics like Samuel Johnson falsely accused Shakespeare of lacking moral purpose. Smith systematically dismantles the plagiarism theory, refuting claims that Shakespeare copied contemporaries like Thomas Kyd or Robert Greene. He cites evidence that Greene's works were inferior and that similarities are coincidental, noting that Greene's own sarcasm regarding Shakespeare was merely a parody. The text also addresses the authorship of the *Henry VI* histories and the influence of Beaumont and Fletcher on *Cymbeline*, arguing that Shakespeare was the original creator of the romance genre rather than an imitator. Smith highlights how later playwrights frequently parodied and imitated Shakespeare, proving his dominance. He counters the assertions of Professor Barrett Wendell and others who claimed Shakespeare was merely an instinctive follower of fashions, pointing out that Shakespeare's contemporaries never accused him of imitation. The work concludes by affirming Shakespeare's status as a unique, self-taught genius whose works remain superior to all imitations, securing his place as the sovereign of English literature. Smith emphasizes that despite centuries of distorted criticism and attempts to diminish his genius, the verdict of mankind has uniformly vindicated Shakespeare's originality and greatness.

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4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Literary Criticism